The Wasp — 1891 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertisements** for San Francisco businesses (furniture, champagne, belting, etc.), with one central satirical cartoon. The cartoon depicts a Chinese man labeled "SAM WAH LEE" being violently attacked or beaten by multiple assailants. The accompanying poem describes various indignities: being washed in the sea, jailed, and subjected to abuse. The satire appears to mock **anti-Chinese racism and violence** in San Francisco during the late 19th century. Rather than endorsing the violence, the cartoon seems to be critiquing the brutality through dark humor—listing absurd, dehumanizing treatments to expose their cruelty. The poem's tone suggests ironic commentary on how Chinese immigrants were treated in California during this period of intense xenophobia.